Bag sealing apparatus with bag evacuation means

Abstract

The apparatus includes an L-sealer and a supply of folded film which is fed across a horizontal table to the vicinity of the sealer, where a product to be packaged is placed between the upper and lower sheets of folded film. The sealer is then operated to hold closed the open side of the film opposite the fold and thus to form a bag which is closed, but not sealed, on three sides. The edge of the table facing the open end of the bag is provided with a vacuum chamber which is operated to remove air from the bag, whereupon the L-sealer is operated to complete the sealing of the bag and the severing of the bag from the film supply.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for forming a packaged product comprising a supply of bag-forming film,   first means for forming an open-ended bag from said film,   second means coupled to the open end of said bag for evacuating said bag,   third means for sealing the open end of said bag,   said second means comprising a chamber disposed across the open end of said bag and having a front end which faces the inside of said bag, said front end including an apertured portion and an adjacent unapertured portion, and   fourth means blocking a portion of said apertured portion.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 and including means for severing said sealed bag from said supply of film. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said fourth means includes means blocking the central portion of said apertured portion to provide two spaced-apart apertured portions through which air can be evacuated from said bag. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 and including a pair of plates, one plate secured above and one plate secured below said apertured portion of said chamber and positioned to prevent said bag-forming film from adhering to said apertured portion and blocking the flow of air therethrough. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus for forming a packaged product comprising a supply of bag-forming film,   first means for forming an open-ended bag from said film,   second means coupled to the open end of said bag for evacuating said bag, and   third means for sealing the open end of said bag,   said bag including an upper and lower web and said second means comprises a chamber disposed across the open end of said bag,   said chamber having a top surface and a lower surface and disposed between said upper and lower webs of said bag,   said chamber having a front end facing the inside of said bag and including an apertured portion disposed within said bag and an unapertured portion disposed partly within said bag and extending laterally beyond a side edge of said bag, and a pair of plates secured to said top and lower surfaces of said chamber and extending forwardly beyond the front end of said chamber toward the inside of said bag for preventing said upper and lower webs from resting on and blocking said apertured portion of the front end of said chamber and thereby blocking the flow of air from inside the bag and into said chamber.   
     
     
       6. Apparatus for forming an evacuated packaged product comprising a support table having a longitudinal axis,   sealing means adjacent to said support table,   a supply of bag-forming film disposed adjacent to said sealing means and adapted to feed the film on a path along said longitudinal axis to said sealing means, said film including an upper web and a lower web which form a bag having an open end, and   a tray disposed between said supply of film and said sealing means, said tray being adapted to support a product to be placed in a bag formed of said film,   said tray being disposed between said upper and lower webs of said film as the film comes from said supply,   said tray including an evacuation chamber for removing air from between said upper and lower webs of said film before said sealing means forms said film into an evacuated, closed bag.   
     
     
       7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 and including means for severing said closed bag from said supply of film. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said tray comprises a thin, flat chamber disposed across the open end of said bag and having an apertured front edge through which air is evacuated from said bag. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said tray comprises a thin, flat chamber disposed across the open end of said bag and having a front end which faces the inside of said bag, said front end including an apertured portion and an adjacent unapertured portion. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus defined in claim 9 and including means blocking a portion of said apertured portion. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus defined in claim 9 and including means blocking the central portion of said apertured portion to provide two spaced-apart apertured portions through which air can be evacuated from said bag.